Deuteronomy 6:4 Meaning and Explanation
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The Lord our God is one, and He alone is worthy of all our love and trust.
The Context of Deuteronomy 6:4
These words, called the Shema after the Hebrew word for Hear, became the great daily confession of Israel. Faithful Jews have recited this line morning and evening for thousands of years, and a child of Israel was meant to learn it before almost anything else. Jesus Himself called it the first of all the commandments (Mark 12:29).
What Does Deuteronomy 6:4 Mean?
The verse opens with a summons: Hear, O Israel. It asks for more than passing attention. To hear, in this language, is to take to heart and to obey. Then comes the truth they are to receive: the LORD our God is one LORD. In a world crowded with many gods, each ruling its own corner of life, Israel is called to know that their God is the one true God, undivided and unrivaled. He stands alone above every rival. He is the LORD, and there is no other beside Him.
When a scribe asked Jesus which commandment was first, He answered with this very line (Mark 12:29-30). He did not set it aside. He gathered it up and carried it forward, and He revealed the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the one God whom Israel had always confessed. To know the one Lord is to be drawn into the love of the One who made us and came to save us. The confession that began as Israel's daily prayer becomes the ground on which we stand.
Deuteronomy 6:4 in the Original Language
shema (שְׁמַע), 'hear' -- to listen with the whole self, to take to heart and obey, not merely to register sound.
How to Apply Deuteronomy 6:4 Today
This verse gathers our scattered loyalties back to one center: the Lord our God is one. Before we ask anything of Him or do anything for Him, we are simply called to hear, to let this truth settle into us. He alone is God, and that is the steady ground beneath everything else we will be asked to love and do.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deuteronomy 6:4
What does Deuteronomy 6:4 mean?
The Lord our God is one, and He alone is worthy of all our love and trust.
What is the context of Deuteronomy 6:4?
These words, called the Shema after the Hebrew word for Hear, became the great daily confession of Israel. Faithful Jews have recited this line morning and evening for thousands of years, and a child of Israel was meant to learn it before almost anything else. Jesus Himself called it the first of all the commandments (Mark 12:29).
How can I apply Deuteronomy 6:4 today?
This verse gathers our scattered loyalties back to one center: the Lord our God is one. Before we ask anything of Him or do anything for Him, we are simply called to hear, to let this truth settle into us. He alone is God, and that is the steady ground beneath everything else we will be asked to love and do.